Jsntgm 015 Dina – Work The Switch CD

1. One Heart Beat Away 02:55
2. Work The Switch 03:23
3. The Revolt 02:41
4. Strike Third 02:26
5. Robot Sign In – Out 02:13
6. Clarity Is Breaking Me 02:30
7.Tear Jerk 03:31
8. Joy! 02:59
9. Ghosts Of The Past 03:44
10. Final Echo 03:45

released April 23, 2003

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REVIEWS

By BLACKPOOOL ROX II – (Issue 7) Dec 2003 submitted
This is the second album offering from Liverpool´s DINA following up “Electricity Gave Me A Heart Murmur” CD on Complicity. DINA very much take up the story from where the late great Hooton 3 Car left off, continuing this fine tradition of melodic well crafted northern renditions of excellent power pop punk songs. “Work The Switch” shows progress from their last recording, and this is owed in no small way to the addition of Ian Roache on bass. Ian was singer songwriter with early 90´s U.K. outfit DRIVE which released some great music in a similar vein to DINA on the First Strike label.

Having the complementary talents of Ian providing good bass riffs and harmonious backing vocals (as you would expect), behind the undoubted singer/songwriting ability of mainman Ged, and you have a recipe for success. The title track is probably my favourite, however one of the enduring qualities of this release is there are NO bad tracks, and each time I listen to it another track grabs my attention. This C.D. was recorded and mixed over a couple of months in backrooms and bedrooms all over the Liverpool area.

This non-studio process was by no means straight forward, however the end product has justified the means. DINA are out playing gigs with the likes of Leatherface in November 2003, so make sure you get along and support them.

www.punktatstic.com June 2004 – Paul
Dina sound like a cross between The Killerest Expression and Eighty Six (RIP), so the Yellowcard-loving pop-punk kids should probably stop reading now. Released on the JSNTGM Records imprint, the band, based in Liverpool, have a gritty, yet melodic, slant on their punk rock with melody sound. I guess you could even throw comparisons to the likes of Pinto and OCP in there, albeit Dina are a little slower than their peers. ‘Work The Switch’ is a tidy little record that showcases the trio’s talents. For my shame I’d never heard of the band before this CD popped through the letterbox, so this was a welcome surprise. It does have the gritty, driving sound that the Leeds scene laps up, but has enough melody to keep people like me, who like the poppier end of the scale, interested. Tracks like ‘Strike Third’ and the album’s title track are really cool melodic rock songs. Even when the band slow things down, as they do on ‘Clarity Is Breaking Me’, they pull it off with some style. However, the only thing that pulls Dina down are the fact that the same guitar tone makes things sound a little monotonous on repeat listens. So much so that some of the tracks begin to blend in to one another, which is really disappointing as the tracks taken individually are pretty good. Dina prove they have plenty to offer during the length of ‘Work The Switch’, but there’s a couple of adequate tracks which arguably bring the score down half a star. Still, if you like the Boss Tuneage label and the bands that are linked to it, then Dina are the kind of band that you will inevitably lap up. Good stuff indeed. www.dinarock.cjb.net JSNTGM Records Paul

Reason To Believe May 2004 – LC
“DINA follow in the tradition of UK melodic punk bands like LEATHERFACE and HOOTON 3 CAR making delightful pop songs with a sort of gruff tinge to them. This is a good record, the title track is a real standout and I like the strong vocals. However, by the end of the album I start to lose interest, after several listens I still couldn’t tell you what the last few tracks are like. I think DINA are a good band but the problem is they aren’t offering anything new and are never going to be better than any of the bands they were influenced by. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t listen to this, there are some really good songs on here, but it’s just not really essential. (LC)”

ARTCORE Jan 2004
Chiming guiar indie-edged punk in the vein of Husker Du and Leatherface, with scottish sounding vocals (turtlehead, etc) from an ex-member of Drive. Good song writing with melody but held back slightly with some loose shabby drumming and the odd wobbly vocal line. But the songs shine through and they could be huge on the hype scene! Watch out Andy, a certain monk is always head hunting for drones to work the switches for the new industry-heh! 5 out of 6

WATER INTO BEER Jan 2004 – [Tim]
Hailing from Liverpool, DINA play emotionally inspired melodic punk akin to LEATHERFACE and JIMMY EAT WORLD in places. Everything you want is here, all the hooks, memorable sing-a-long vocals which at times even reminded me of the DESCENDENTS, especially on the title track. It’s all played and sung to the highest standard and there’s a couple of songs on here that are truly memorable. I’d recommend you pick this up if you’re a fan of the genre. [Tim]

IN IT ON IT Jan 2004 – [Paul}
A bloke in this band used to be in a band called DRIVE. If you’re a young pup this probably means fuck all to ya. But if you’re an oldish git like me you’ll remember them – Mega City Four and Senseless Things were their peers. And this fits neatly alongside that era of indy punk rock. Melodic, likeable tunes that will get you remembering the glory days of the Reading festival. And it’s 20 times better than the shite that gets into the NME these days. [Paul}

PLAY DEAD 8 Feb 2004 – [MB]
First up some nice artwork here from Dr Graham and luckily some pretty good music to go with it. OK, so it’s fairly badly recorded melodic punk, that’s jam pack full of tunes and character. That’s probably all I need to say. More? OK, well it’s got a little more ‘dynamic’ than most,, it’s a bit rougher, maybe it’s the vocals, which seem to have their moments where they carry the music along (in a good way) and change the whole feel of a song in a second. More? Well it has a kind of British edge to it, by this I mean they don’t have cockney accents but it just has this genuine feeling to it, whatever that means, but it makes is more likeable and gives the songs a definite edge and personality. More? Erm, it’s yellow, what more do you want? [MB]

KEEP SCHTUMM 7 Jan 2004
Work the switch is the follow up to ‘electricity gave me heart murmur’. Now with former DRIVE bass player Ian (sic) Roche in their ranks they’ve produced a well crafted slice of melodic power punk. There’s plenty of good stuff here such as ‘the revolt’, ‘strike third’ and ‘tear jerk’ which are a credit to singer sone writer Ged’s ability to come up with the goods. This CD was apparently mixed and recorded in backrooms and bedrooms across liverpool over a couple of months – you’d never guess because the quality is amazing

SUSPECT DEVICE 42 Jan 2004
If you’re one of those nice boys or girls who likes to stand at a gig and nod your head in appreciation to some soul searching ’emo’ then check out Dina from Scouse land! Ten tracks of pop pap and pointless lyrics that do nothing for me but acquaintances of mine will cream their baggy trousers over this ten track offering. I’ll give Andy his due at JSNTGM Records he puts out releases by a great variety of bands from acorss the ‘punk’ spectrum. One month he sends me a corker of a CD by ‘sick 56’ then he tries to pull off my punk blinkers with this CD! Sorry mate but they are suer glued on! I’m getting on a bit now and getting stuck in my ways! Pass the pipe and slippers would you someone, I need to get a cup of cocoa while the electric blanket heats the bed and the wife soaks up my dentures for the night!

Everlong #5
DINA “Work The Switch” JUST SAY NO TO GOVERNMENT MUSIC CD alb I do have a soft spot for JSNTGM, as it’s just a great British punk label bunging out stuff just because they really like it, and I’m really pleased the Sick 56 LP is getting the coverage it deserves (please see the ad elsewhere in the fanzine). The word emo in the press release didn’t put me off, even though I seem to be knee-deep in emo releases at the moment, as actually it’s just a bit emo and a lot Husker Du. Anyway, this is a 10 track album that clocks in at 30 minutes, and it’s the second LP by a Liverpool 3 piece who now feature an ex-member of Drive, who I vaguely remember from a few years back. Excellent start with the infectious ‘Just One Beat Away’, followed by the equally good title track, and the rest is all very good with upbeat tunes, nice guitars verging on Hot Water Music at times, and harmonious twin vocals in the Bob Mould vein. ‘Tear Jerk’ also stands out, even if the title is far too emo for its own good. This is a great little LP, and I would give it 5 out of 5, apart from the fact it’s so good you want it to last longer and the last track is an instrumental (I’m not keen on instrumentals). Still, it’s only £6 incl p+p so please give it a try. Available from JSNTGM Records, PO Box 1025, Blackpool, England FY3 0FA

KERRANG (KKK) April 2004
KERRANG (KKK) April 2004 – SECOND LP FROM LIVERPUDLIAN MELODI-PUNK TRIO
The fact the Dina recorded this in “backrooms and bedrooms all over Liverpool’ is an achievement in itself – to have the resulting 10 tracks come out so good is a bloody miracle. The trio recall the guitar driven melodic rock sound of Buffalo Tom, Bivouac and Brit legends Hooton 3 car, but give everything a punk edge thanks to a Husker Du influence. Each uplifting harmony driven song here makes ‘Work The Switch’ compulsive listening, even if the album does get a little repetitive. Definitely worth checking out.
BEST TRACK ‘One Heart Beat Away’